‘We know what they are going through’: Iranian and Jewish communities hold Kirkland vigil

KIRKLAND, Wash. — A vigil took place in Kirkland Saturday evening to honor the lives lost in the ongoing conflict in Israel. The vigil was put together by the Iranian Community of the Greater Seattle area and members of the Jewish community as a way to show their support for everyone impacted by the Hamas attacks.

“This was very important to us to stand beside our sisters and brothers in the Jewish community,” Homeira Bakhtiari, one of the organizers, said. “Because we know what they are going through.”

Many in attendance shared stories of how they have or know of people with loved ones who have been captured by Hamas.

“Some of them are young babies. Some of them are children and some are all families actually,” Liran Gross, who is from Israel, said.

“My friend was one of them. He was taken into Gaza. Last night, I got a message that somebody knocked on their door and they found him dead. He died,” one man who spoke at the vigil said.

But those who put the vigil together say they not only support the Jewish community during this trying time but all lives taken by terror.

“And I want to say that Palestinians are also victims of these barbaric actions of terrorist organizations and governments like Hamas,” Bakhtiari said.

As the war wages on, many here are holding onto hope.

“It is the light for this very dark time we are in right now,” one woman told us.

And they pray the violence ends soon.

“All together to say ‘ok, we need peace.’ We have to be together to make it a peaceful world for everyone,” Bakhtiari said

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